All aboard the Royal 1 as free trips on new Pattaya to Hua Hin ferry begins Jan 1st

[rooster59]

All aboard the Royal 1 as free trips on new Pattaya to Hua Hin ferry begins Jan 1st

 

Image: Thairath

 

Free trips for all for 15 days begin on New Year's day on the much trumpeted new ferry service across the Gulf of Thailand from Pattaya to Hua Hin.

The swanky new catamaran - named Royal 1 - has been declared fit for service and will now be tested on the ocean wave with tourists and locals.

Officials from the harbor association including president Sornsak Saensombat, communications ministry staff and representatives from operator Royal Passenger Line Co Ltd were all on hand to inspect operations yesterday and give the new service the thumbs up.

Also checked were passenger scanning facilities utilizing CTX technology and a waiting room especially built for the service.

The vessel itself has two fully air-con floors. Downstairs are 286 regular seats while upstairs are 44 "business class" seats and two VIP cabins.

In the testing period there will be one return trip daily. It will originate at the Saphan Pla pier in Hua Hin at 8.30 am on January 1st and leave Bali Hai area 4 for the return leg at 3.30pm.

Each leg is expected to take two hours.

The service will cost 1,250 baht from January 16th onwards.

 

Source: Thairath

 

 

 

-- © Copyright Thai Visa News 2016-12-31

[Reigntax]

Guinea pigs !

[patekatek]

19 minutes ago, rooster59 said:

Saphan Pla pier in Hua Hin

When I google this place, I get return information that it's in Cha Am, Ranong, Samut Songkram, etc.   No mention of Hua Hin.     I have to assume that it is indeed in Hua Hin, but could someone provide accurate detail and also indicate if parking is available at the Hua Hin pier?

Thanks!

 

 

[sharecropper]

Amazing how much free publicity this probably-doomed service is drumming up in the press, I think.

[Upnotover]

I had to look up CTX, guess its this;

 

"The CTX (Computer Tomography X-ray) is an explosive detection device"

 

Feel safer now.  Wonder how much the short time VIP cabins are.

[ratcatcher]

39 minutes ago, patekatek said:

When I google this place, I get return information that it's in Cha Am, Ranong, Samut Songkram, etc.   No mention of Hua Hin.     I have to assume that it is indeed in Hua Hin, but could someone provide accurate detail and also indicate if parking is available at the Hua Hin pier?

Thanks!

 

 

 

This is the Hua Hin "Fish Dock/pier. Anyone who knows HH probably thinks it is a little bit far from the core area. Parking looks limited. Something they will have to improve. Any HH residents reading this may well know much more.

[ratcatcher]

4 minutes ago, Upnotover said:

I had to look up CTX, guess its this;

 

"The CTX (Computer Tomography X-ray) is an explosive detection device"

 

Feel safer now.  Wonder how much the short time VIP cabins are.

"Wonder how much the short time VIP cabins are."

You're already getting screwed over the fare, why not hold the urge and do it at an ST hotel either end? I doubt there are any cabins to speak of, unless it is for crew use.

[onemorechang]

19 minutes ago, ratcatcher said:

"Wonder how much the short time VIP cabins are."

You're already getting screwed over the fare, why not hold the urge and do it at an ST hotel either end? I doubt there are any cabins to speak of, unless it is for crew use.

 

Never thought of that.

Could be a have it away day out !!!

[oldgent]

take a good look at it now, could be upside down next time you see it

[Asiantravel]

" 44 "business class" seats  "

 

so when they start charging money is the 1200 baht for a standard seat and how much will one of these business class seats cost?

[George Graham]

Wow, they really believe this idea is going to work.

[Briggsy]

8 minutes ago, George Graham said:

Wow, they really believe this idea is going to work.

Nah, it's probably all about the kickback on the boat purchase or some other budget fiddle. They have to be positive and pretend.

 

It is unlikely to work.

[striderman]

1 hour ago, Upnotover said:

I had to look up CTX, guess its this;

 

"The CTX (Computer Tomography X-ray) is an explosive detection device"

 

Feel safer now.  Wonder how much the short time VIP cabins are.

[mortenaa]

48 minutes ago, George Graham said:

Wow, they really believe this idea is going to work.

Why wouldn't it work? Sitting in a 3000+ Baht taxi for 6 hours, stuck in traffic, or just cross the bay in 2 hours for less than half the price. They should get family tix and group tix though. 

[DrTuner]

Well that's a hardcore test if I ever saw one. At least 700 cheap Charlie's crammed into the tub?

[BigBadGeordie]

I have booked already.

[Sphere]

4 hours ago, rooster59 said:

The swanky new catamaran....

 

[Asiantravel]

last July this article appeared in  Hua Hin Today.

Even though this service never took off in the end I find the proposed price structure compared to on the sea interesting

 

 

Pattaya to Hua Hin flights have started
Chiang Mai-based Kan Air now operates direct flights from Pattaya (U Tapao Airport) to central and southern destinations in Thailand, including Hua Hin. Meanwhile an agreement has been signed over development of U-Tapao Airport as a 3rd airport serving Bangkok.

The new flight to Hua Hin now operates four times a week to and from U Tapao (20 km south of Pattaya) and is the first service linking the two locations that are on either side of the Gulf of Thailand. The service started on 29th May. The airline also operates three weekly flights to Hat Yai in Songkhla province. The town is a major commercial centre with highway and rail links to nearby Malaysia. A three-weekly service also links U-Tapao (Pattaya) to Surat Thani town.

Surat Thani is the nearest mainland town to the resort island of Samui. There are bus services from Surat Thani airport to the island’s ferry port. The airline uses a 66-seat ATR72-500 to serve all three destinations. The airline has set a one-way fare at THB490 from U Tapao to Hua Hin, including airport taxes and fees. The 50 minute Hua Hin –Pattaya (U-Tapao) flights are on Monday, Wednesday, Friday and Sunday, departing Hua Hin at 2040 (8.40 PM) and arriving 2110 (9.10 PM). Pattaya departures are on the same days at 1940 (7.40 PM).

Source: HuaHinToday

[laban]

Great they have a CTX scanner but do they have anyone to operate it, and do they have life jackets?
This is the third venture on this crossing in the last few years and the previous 2 failed miserably - wish it can succeed but not much hope in generating the required traffic.


Sent from my iPhone using Thaivisa Connect

[Wilsonandson]

Looks nice! A bit pricey, but this missus and me little one could do with some sea air. Far better than travelling by car.

[anon467848]

So, place your bets, how many consecutive days service will the ferry operate before some technicality grinds the service to a halt... 7 days, 555... 

[poohy]

3 minutes ago, merlin2002 said:

So, place your bets, how many consecutive days service will the ferry operate before some technicality grinds the service to a halt... 7 days, 555... 

I think a few parts will be shaken loose if the sea offshore Phrachuap today is anything to go by!

[scorecard]

1 hour ago, Asiantravel said:

last July this article appeared in  Hua Hin Today.

Even though this service never took off in the end I find the proposed price structure compared to on the sea interesting

 

 

Pattaya to Hua Hin flights have started
Chiang Mai-based Kan Air now operates direct flights from Pattaya (U Tapao Airport) to central and southern destinations in Thailand, including Hua Hin. Meanwhile an agreement has been signed over development of U-Tapao Airport as a 3rd airport serving Bangkok.

The new flight to Hua Hin now operates four times a week to and from U Tapao (20 km south of Pattaya) and is the first service linking the two locations that are on either side of the Gulf of Thailand. The service started on 29th May. The airline also operates three weekly flights to Hat Yai in Songkhla province. The town is a major commercial centre with highway and rail links to nearby Malaysia. A three-weekly service also links U-Tapao (Pattaya) to Surat Thani town.

Surat Thani is the nearest mainland town to the resort island of Samui. There are bus services from Surat Thani airport to the island’s ferry port. The airline uses a 66-seat ATR72-500 to serve all three destinations. The airline has set a one-way fare at THB490 from U Tapao to Hua Hin, including airport taxes and fees. The 50 minute Hua Hin –Pattaya (U-Tapao) flights are on Monday, Wednesday, Friday and Sunday, departing Hua Hin at 2040 (8.40 PM) and arriving 2110 (9.10 PM). Pattaya departures are on the same days at 1940 (7.40 PM).

Source: HuaHinToday

 

And keep in mind that this airline has regularly cancelled flights at the last minute over quite a few years leaving passengers in the lurch in terms of personal timing for events etc. 

 

[Asiantravel]

14 minutes ago, scorecard said:

 

And keep in mind that this airline has regularly cancelled flights at the last minute over quite a few years leaving passengers in the lurch in terms of personal timing for events etc. 

 

 

I'm aware of that because I was once one of those passengers who received a call at the very last minute to say my flight to Chiang Mai been cancelled which evidently was because they hadn't received the proper approvals beforehand.

 but of far more relevance is to compare a proposed fare of 490 baht to fly with 1200 baht by sea.

 

[licka]

4 hours ago, oldgent said:

take a good look at it now, could be upside down next time you see it

Tomorrow maybe 

[fruitman]

1 hour ago, laban said:

Great they have a CTX scanner but do they have anyone to operate it, and do they have life jackets?
This is the third venture on this crossing in the last few years and the previous 2 failed miserably - wish it can succeed but not much hope in generating the required traffic.


Sent from my iPhone using Thaivisa Connect

 

And do they have a coastguard who is able to rescue the passengers when needed? Are there also helicopters standing by?

 

They can charge western prices but do they also deliver western safety?

 

When i was on the boat to Samui i tried to figure out how to operate the rescueboats which were onboard. After 30 minutes examining the instructions i gave up, didn't understand anything from it..

[George Graham]

3 hours ago, mortenaa said:

Why wouldn't it work? Sitting in a 3000+ Baht taxi for 6 hours, stuck in traffic, or just cross the bay in 2 hours for less than half the price. They should get family tix and group tix though. 

Just across the bay (gulf), and have you calculated the speed required to achieve this?

[bangrak]

Let's hope we won't soon read: 'Ferry between Pattaya and Hua Hin sinks presumably with about 500 passengers on board instead of the 330 allowed. The captain captured short after fleeing told he and his staff could not withstand the massive flow of aggressive people boarding his ship because of the free fare...'!

[bangrak]

38 minutes ago, fruitman said:

 

And do they have a coastguard who is able to rescue the passengers when needed? Are there also helicopters standing by?

 

They can charge western prices but do they also deliver western safety?

 

When i was on the boat to Samui i tried to figure out how to operate the rescueboats which were onboard. After 30 minutes examining the instructions i gave up, didn't understand anything from it..

Ah, 'fruitman', so you don't read Chinese or Corean (depending on the provenance of the old iron), do you, but don't worry, the Thai crewmembers don't either? Should maybe rather have asked a crewmember about who holds the keys of the padlocks, and whether he is on board or not...

[scorecard]

1 hour ago, Asiantravel said:

 

I'm aware of that because I was once one of those passengers who received a call at the very last minute to say my flight to Chiang Mai been cancelled which evidently was because they hadn't received the proper approvals beforehand.

 but of far more relevance is to compare a proposed fare of 490 baht to fly with 1200 baht by sea.

 

 

 

Well they have a track record of excuses, but many folks who got the last minute 'cancellation' call realized they just didn't have enough passengers to cover the costs of the flight. I would wonder if this breaches their license.